Last week I sat in on an interview tutorial with Melanie and Nadine, during which Melanie covered the basics of the candidate interviewing process and shared some insight that she has acquired over the years. Throughout college I have attended interview seminars and tutorials, but never one focused on giving the interview and it was quite enlightening. One of the focal points of the training was resumes, and stressing the importance of reviewing it to ensure that it is a complete and polished document.
HONESTY
I cannot stress enough that in today’s ever-growing world of technology, it essential to be truthful when crafting your resume. Besides the fact lying on your resume is grossly unethical, it will not go unnoticed for the following reasons. In our daily lives we appreciate, even rely on how advancements in technology have given us access to what seems like boundless amounts of information at our fingertips. Companies value and utilize this technology too – especially when looking to fill a role. It is very simple to contact a candidate’s former employer for more interest about the candidate. In addition, you risk outing yourself during an interview with a company and destroying your professional credibility. In summary it is better for all parties if candidates are honest on their resume.
OMMISION
Another common practice when writing a resume is omission. Leaving off a former position or degree is a red flag to recruiters and companies. This is not typically thought of as dishonest behavior; though purposely leaving off key information alludes to the fact that you have something to hide. If you are forth coming about an uncomfortable or negative experience your recruiter can discuss it with their clients, instead of the company finding “skeletons in your closest” at a later point in the interviewing process.
CONSISTENCY
Be sure to match your LinkedIn profile and resume so that they provide the same information as well as any other paper or online bios. Controlling your image so that it is uniform across all public channels and documents is key. Companies and recruiters conduct extensive research and will inquire about inconsistencies.
Lastly always compared to every interview prepared with multiple copies of your resume and references.